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Reduced Support

Government accused of 'slashing away at welfare' after new figures show 47 per cent of disabled people see benefits reduced or stopped altogether...

Almost half of disabled people reassessed under Government's new benefit system last year had financial support withdrawn or reduced, new figures show.

Government statistics published on Wednesday show 47 per cent of people who were formerly receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) saw their support fall or stop altogether when they were reassessed for Personal Independent Payment (PIP).

Of a total of 947,000 claimants who were reassessed in the year to October 2017, 22 per cent saw their support reduced, while a quarter were disallowed or withdrawn altogether — meaning 443,000 people will have had their claims reduced or removed.

Thirteen per cent had their benefit left unchanged and 39 per cent had their support increased, according to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) figures.

A breakdown of claimants shows people claiming benefit for psychosis saw the highest proportion of cases either reduced or disallowed or withdrawn, at 58 per cent, while psychoneurosis and back pain also had high rates, at 52 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.

A representative from the Benefit Advice Centre said that they are helping people who are turned down for Personal Independent Payment in the government’s process of reassessment by challenging their decision through Mandatory Reconsideration as well as helping them to file for appeal.